Ryan Evans – WCW Member Profile

WCW Member Profile – Ryan Evans

Education/Training

I completed my B.A.Sc. in Environmental Systems Engineering from the University of Regina in 2005 and attained my M.A.Sc. in Environmental Systems Engineering from the University of Regina in 2012 with a specialization in wastewater treatment.

History in the industry and as a WCW member

I have been lucky enough to work in the water and wastewater industry since I graduated, back in 2005. Almost my entire professional working career has been spent with Saskatchewan Environment, which became the Ministry of Environment and then later formed part of the Water Security Agency. I spent the early part of my career working as Environmental Project Officer where I was involved in the regulation of drinking water and wastewater facilities in the Moose Mountain area. After a few years on the operational side of things, I switched over to the construction side and have been regulating the construction of drinking water and wastewater facilities ever since.

Typical day

Part of what I like about my job is that I get to do a lot of different things and there aren’t really any “typical” days. Depending on the day, I could spend my time doing some of the following:

Reviewing Downstream Use and Impact Studies, pre-design reports, and applications for construction permits

Ensuring that the projects I approve meet our provincial requirements, and issuing permits that reflect this

Visiting and inspecting newly constructed facilities to make sure they were built according to plan and that all permit requirements were followed

Meeting with communities and consultants to discuss projects

Meeting with operational staff to discuss how to regulate facilities or deal with different situations

Job Satisfaction

I really like that I get to be involved in a variety of projects right from the conceptual stages through design and construction. I find it very interesting to see how different communities or consultants approach similar issues in different ways.

I also get a lot of satisfaction out of helping to ensure communities have safe drinking water and that treated wastewater effluent has minimal adverse impacts on the environment

Main challenges

The main challenge is convincing communities that we have their best interests at heart. We want to make sure that the infrastructure that they build will protect public health and the environment, and that it will provide capacity for years to come. I understand that the projects we are involved in cost a LOT of money, so I want to make sure that, when a community spends this money, they aren’t going to find themselves having to spend even more money to upgrade right away.

Advice

Take on extra tasks, volunteer for committees, and participate when you’re offered opportunities that are outside your normal job description. It might not seem like it at the time, but these extra activities can lead to some really good personal development, such as developing your leadership, communication, and conflict resolution skills.

Time away from work

I enjoy being active, in particular, playing baseball or biking in the summer, and skating in the winter. This past year I decided to take up running. I ran my first ½ marathon in April, and am planning on running another ½ marathon in September. Oddly, I think I prefer to run in the winter instead of the summer.

When I’m feeling a little less energetic, I enjoy watching sports, especially the Blue Jays, Roughriders, or any NFL game